THE two letters in the January 18 Citizen prompted me to add my thoughts.

The new bridge, whilst wonderful in design, just does not fit in.

The pictures shown in the newspapers show the bridge standing proudly against a blue ground, very nice, but we do not have a blue backing to the bridge. What we have are several hundred years of historic buildings. If you were a resident on St Georges Quay and wished to make some modifications to your home I am sure you would have to conform to quite strict rules as to keeping things in character. But why has this bridge slipped through? Tom Hayton's letter queries the need for the blue "pencils."

They hold the wires/ hawsers that support the bridge. But I feel that they appear to have the opposite function and the wires are there to support the "pencils." I look forward to the grand opening when TV crews come along to show the scene against our ancient sky line, maybe in soft focus so that we cannot see the eyesore of Pyes old warehouse (can somebody do something about that soon) panning slowly round to the metal clad roof of the new multiplex cinema.

Will we all be pleased that approx £2 million pounds has been spent on this "interesting" talking point, situated only a couple of hundred yards from an existing bridge, that could with some advantage have been modified?

Talking about bridges, lets look at the Torrisholme Road rail bridge and Tim Stevens letter.

How is the new bridge protected from collision? A couple of signs and local driver knowledge obviously does not work.

There is a detection device fitted at either side of the bridge, hi-tech stuff to tell you when the bridge has been struck, which is a bit like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

I cannot see why, at a suitable distance from the bridge and at a height that would detect high vehicles, an electronic beam that would trigger a stop sign could not be fitted. Stagecoach are not the only vehicle operators that use that road. If we cannot afford any "electrickery" to warn drivers we could go the simple route with old tin tea trays suspended on poles prior to the bridge.

Well, it was just a thought! They are used abroad with some success.

Den Bray via e-mail